And Baby Makes Three
by Tabbyluna
Summary: He had promised his lady that he would always be there for her. And he couldn't let her down now.


It was raining heavily by the time the battle was finished. It could really be considered a small skirmish at best, but the knights who fought off the cyclopses had all been exhausted and filthy. On their steeds, they had braved the elements to defeat the invaders. One by one, they fought their way through the army, and soon they sent them retreating. Most cyclopses were cowardly in nature, at least that was the stereotype. And that army was proof of that. The knights were victorious. Bloody, muddy, injured, but ultimately victorious.

One particular knight, Fuery the Purehearted, managed to fight his way through the battle without sustaining a single injury. Even though he was mostly known throughout the land for being a kind-hearted soul (hence his title), his skills as a warrior were nothing to sneeze at. When the cyclopses ran away, he immediately got off his horse and helped out any injured men up onto the horses of the medics. Once they were all attended to, he began digging up shallow graves for the men who had died. The other knights aided in it, as it was considered noble to help and honour your fallen brothers. But none helped as many or dug as many graves as Fuery did.

After a quick prayer for the fallen, Fuery and the other men climbed back onto their horses. They were to report back to the castle immediately now. Their king always expected immediate reports after their tasks were completed. Fuery was always eager to remind his men of that fact. He had memorised every law and custom of the kingdom by the time he had completed his training to be a knight. The other knights usually teased him of this fact.

But today, instead of reminding his men to head back to the castle, he climbed onto his horse and told his men that he was now needed in the village. "I shall regroup with all of you once I am finished with this endeavour. For now, please head back to the king and report on how the battle played out."

Before any of the others could ask him any questions, he was off, galloping away from them towards the village.

Along the way, the medics and knights speculated on what could have caused him to run off like that. All while the rain continued to pour down heavily, splashing hard against their armour. "Maybe he's got a legion of women waiting for him back in town. All of them just waiting for him to return." Studly the Courageous threw his hands into the air, and feigned a feminine voice. "Oh, Fuery the Purehearted," he squeaked, pitching his voice up. "How would you like to teach an impure woman such as myself how to act?" It elected a few chuckles from those present.

"Ah, I don't know about that," said Chadrick the Noble. "The village had a great harvest lately. Maybe he's just rearing to get back for a feast. I hear the bakers make excellent pies and cakes, and what could be better than a hot meal after braving this sort of weather." As if on cue, thunder rumbled and a flash of lightning followed it.

"That would be fantastic after a storm, and he's certainly well liked enough by the villagers to earn such a reward," commented Brawnan the Heroic. "But, my personal theory is that someone promised him a ton of gold. So now he's on his way back to collect his reward."

The knights snickered at the theories presented, and threw in more and more outlandish ones. Someone promised him a giant chocolate cake, or he was promised a huge all-expenses paid holiday tour around Skylands. They threw all those theories around laughing all the way as they did, just like how young men who won a battle would.

"Well, jokes aside, I can't wait to return back home," said Studly the Courageous. "My Mother would be expecting me, and I do miss her dearly."

"I can't wait to see my younger siblings again," admitted Chadrick the Noble. "When I left my youngest brother Todd was suffering from the flu, so I do hope that he's doing well now."

"It's my grandparents for me. They haven't got much to do since they retired. I hope that I would be able to entertain them by telling them about our escapades." Brawnan the Heroic's grandparents used to work under the royal family. His grandfather was an advisor in his court while his grandmother was the royal family's favourite tailor. Just like most of the knights in the king's court, they weren't descended from mere civilians.

And just like most of them, Fuery the Purehearted was descended from such important people. As a son of University scholars, and now one of the kingdom's most famous knights, it was expected that he would fall in love with someone who was of equal social standing. But as he rode on his horse, the wind nipping at his cheeks and his armour dirty with blood and mud, he was heading towards the village to see his true love: a mere butcher.

When she told him that she was with child, he had been ecstatic. Immediately, he dropped onto his knees and proposed to her. After all, in their little village, it was disgraceful to leave a woman to raise a bastard child. The noble, honourable thing to do was to marry her and help in raising the child. She loved him and he loved her, so she accepted his proposal in a heartbeat.

For the next few months they had been secretly planning a small wedding ceremony. The only people who knew were her sister, her brother-in-law, her niece and nephew, and the village priest. Being aligned under the element of Fire, they had expected the priest to be enraged when they heard about it. But to their surprise, he accepted them with warmth.

"Some think that just because Water is the second most flexible element, next to Magic, that Fire is a brutal force which burns anything that stands in its path. But that's only in the cases of uncontrolled fires. Fire is a tempermental element, that is true, for it is the element of the emotions. But just like emotions, Fire is a tool. And just like emotions, fire can be tamed to benefit others, instead of it being used to only destroy. The element of Fire teaches control, and this conception was made when both of you were sober, so why would I be angry at you?"

They were not overly religious people. Occasionally they would go for service, but it was not a top priority to them. So the speech, to them, somehow made no sense and made perfect sense at the same time.

Before the ceremony, he had been called away for the battle. So for two months, she waited, her stomach swelling larger and larger. Every day, the baby's due date coming closer and closer. She got antsier by the day, although her sister told her not to worry. And she kept telling her not to worry, until finally the baby felt like it was time to come out.

It was raining that day, so her sister instructed her son to go out and get the village midwife, while she and her daughter helped her to get comfortable. The expecting lady laid on her bed, groaning uncomfortably. She had bought the bed to sleep with her future husband in, but because of the war they never got the opportunity. "I think Zor should be back soon with Isolda. Oh, if only Zarpa was here!" Zarpa was the name of her sister's husband. A blacksmith, he had been called by the king to help fit some armour for his knights. "Della! Please get some more hot towels for your Auntie Maida!" She called out. Della obeyed, and ran off into the kitchen to start the kettle.

"Matrona, I'm scared,"cried Maida, half out of pain, half out of fear. "Fuery… Fuery isn't here to witness his child's birth! He was so excited to-" she cut herself off to scream out in pain. Heavily breathing, she clung onto Matrona's hand tightly. Matrona patted her back, trying to comfort her sister.

"Don't worry, Maida. He'll come back."

Crying, Maida gasped, trying to speak. "But what if he doesn't? You know… you know what happened with Ignatius!" And she could not say anymore. The contractions were coming in hard and fast, and all she could do was wail out in pain. Della returned with the hot towels, and Matrona rubbed her arms with them.

"Good girl Della, now can you please get your Aunt Maida a clean blanket? Thank you." She then turned her attention to her sister, and squeezed her hand even tighter. "Dear sister, do you trust me?"

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Just answer the question; do you trust me?" She asked, trying to sound gentle, but actually coming off a little fierce.

For a moment, Maida stared at her, surprised at the fierceness. But soon, she gave her hand another squeeze and nodded.

"Then let me tell you something. The day Ignatius… you know... I had a terrible feeling, remember? I told Ma that I was feeling sick, and I spent half the day bedridden." Della returned with the blanket, and Matrona accepted it with a word of thanks. "The same thing happened the day Pa passed on remember?" She lifted her sister's legs gently, and placed the blanket under her. "But today, I was as healthy as a horse. Remember, I woke up early to get water and bake some bread for everyone, and afterwards I did a load of laundry then took it back in for the rain."

She could tell her sister was still listening. Through her tear-filled eyes, she had a look of attentiveness to her. "It may not be the most reliable system of divination, but I believe that he'll be back soon. Please have faith, and let's delivery this baby!"

Maida wiped away her tears, stirred by her sister's spirit. "Alright then. Let's bring your new niece or nephew into this world." Though her voice was soft, Matrona sensed some strength within it. That was the Maida she knew and loved!

After five minutes, the door opened. "Zol, is that you? Did you manage to bring the midwife?"

"Yes, Mama." The midwife, Isolda, ran into the bedroom to stand by Maida. "And I came back with something better too!"

"Really, what did you bring?" Asked Matrona. She thought her son sounded more cheerful now. He was at a difficult age, and she had not heard him sound so happy in a long time. Happy chatter came from outside, which made her curious. She turned around, and instantly, her jaw dropped.

"Fuery!" She gasped. When she did, Della and Maida looked up. Sure enough, there he was, weary and exhausted, but he had finally arrived at the birth of his child.

Before his future niece could run up to him to greet him, he ran to his fiancee, and dropped to his knees. As quickly as he could, he removed the bloody metal gauntlet he had on, and allowed her to give him her hand. He felt the soft skin of her hand. It's been a long time since he held a hand that was not rough and course, and so he gave it a kiss. "It seems like our child is trying to compete with me for who can see you first." He joked. All Maida could do was look at him, speechless, tears of joy running down her face.

"Uncle Fuery! Uncle Fuery!" Piped Della. "You can go take a bath now!" He looked at her, and smiled.

"Stupid," said Zol, reverting back to his moody, preteen self. "He can't take a bath now. He's supposed to be here with his lady to see her through his child's birth." He rolled his eyes. Little sisters could be such a pain in the butt sometimes.

"He can too! Mama said that sometimes a woman could be in labour for hours. So she'll still be here if he finishes his bath." Della was growing up too. When she was younger, she used to cry to her Mama every time Zol bullied her. Now, she was beginning to fight back and stand up for herself.

Maida released another scream, which drew everyone's attention back to her. "I think you can take a quick bath now, Fuery. Like Della said, this labour could take a while," Matrona chipped in.

"And, well, not to barge in or anything, but it's also very unhygienic for you to be in here like this. Please bath and remove your armour, there could be infections on you, which is bad for the baby." Isolda was a quiet, woman, so when she finally spoke up, it was only a little bit louder than a whisper. But everyone heard her message loud and clear, and Fuery went to change his armour and take a shower.

"Zol, why don't you clean this place up. Della, please be here to get Isolda whatever she asks for." Zol murmured something grumpily as he went to clean up the mud tracked on the floor. Della merely giggled, happy that she was right. "Now, then. Let's welcome my future niece or nephew to the world."

After a quick shower, Fuery returned and stayed by Maida's side through her labour. It took hours, and Zol and Della eventually exhausted themselves out. While the two children were sleeping, a third child was born in the house.

After hours of exhausting, painful labour, Maida watched as her new child was finally brought to life in this world. "It's a boy!" Isolda declared to the adults in the room. He came into the world crying and screaming. Just as loud as his mother had been screaming. At that moment, Maida was leaning against a pillow, taking in deep breaths, exhausted from the experience. Her fiance wiped the sweat off her forehead, whispering joyful, encouraging words to her. Her sister squeezed her hand, excited at finally becoming an aunt. Despite her exhaustion and the pain she felt both below and in her throat, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly happy at what she had done.

Isolda cleaned him up, and handed it to her. She felt Fuery and Matrona look over her shoulder, cooing at him in his sleepy silence, all wrapped up in swaddling cloth.

"He has your hair," said Fuery. "And my nose." He placed a hand on hers.

"Oh, he looks perfect." Matrona wrapped an arm around her, and smiled at her new nephew.

"So, what shall you name him?" Asked Isolda, cleaning up the bloodied blanket from beneath her. "Have you thought about it?"

"Well, actually, Fuery and I have discussed it. And we decided that, if the baby turned out to be a girl, we would have named it after his Mother, Veronica. But, if we had a son, well…" She turned to face her sister, and wrapped a hand around hers. "We were thinking of naming him after our late brother, Ignatius."

Ignatius had been a knight too. It was rare for a working class citizen from the village to become one, but if he hadn't, Maida and Fuery likely would not have met. He died when he was sent to kill a manticore which had been threatening the village. A witch had given him a set of enchanted armour, but it was a trick, and when he and the manticore were about to fight, he found that he was frozen to the spot. His death caused their parents to die from heartbreak. And ever since then the sisters swore that they would teach their children to never trust a witch.

"Ignatius…" Said Matrona, a small smile on her face. "I think it would be a fantastic way to honour him."

"So, it's settled then." Fuery gently took his son from Maida, and walked over to the window. She had been in labour all night, and the sun had just started to rise. "My son shall be named Ignatius."

In his arms, Ignatius slept soundly. Warm and safe, all was well in the world at the moment.


End file.
